Censer.



No. 666,873. Patented Ian. 29, |9o|. T. m. muuuznms.

C E N S E R (Application filed Aug. 13, 1 900.

(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet L w: Nonms PETERS 00.. PHOTO-mun, WASNXNOTON. 0.1:

No. 666,873. Patented Ian. 29, I901. T. M. M'ULKERINS.

CENSER.

(Application filed Aug. 13, 1900.| (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES THOMAS M. MULKERINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,873, dated January29, 1901.

Application filed August 13, 1900. Serial No. 26,802. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. MULKER- INS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCensers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in censers, and refers morespecifically to an improved attachment for censers consisting of afire-cage which may be conveniently attached to most of the censersnowin common use and which serves as a means of preventing theaccidental escape of fragments of fire or burning incense from thecombustionchamber of the censor.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheaply-constructed,and efficient attachment or device of the character referred to capableof being applied to most of the censers now in common use, as Well as ofbeing embodied in censers specially constructed to include this feature;and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, andmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will bereadily understood from the following description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical axialsectional view of a censer equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the lower or main body member of the censer equipped with myattachment, the latter being shown open in position to receive fuel orincense; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the fire-cage proper lifted outof its seat.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates as a whole the censer, whichmay be of any usual or preferred construction, that shown hereinconsisting of a main body 2 of vase form, a cover portion 3, which fitsupon the upper end of the vase-like body and is held in position thereonby means of the suspension-chains 4, which, however, permit it to belifted up free from the main body, and a combustion-chamber 5, in thepresent instance consisting of a sheet-metal cup seated in the upper endof the main body, so as to occupy the mouth thereof.

In the ordinary use of a censor of the general character thus describedwhen used as has heretofore been common a body of burn ing charcoal isplaced within the cup or combustion-chamber 5, being permitted to restdirectly upon the bottom of the receptacle, and over this body ofburning charcoal the incense is poured in quantities so regulated as notto extinguish the fire. When thus used, the combustion-chamber 5 is openat its upper endt'. e., it is unprovided with a cover other than theupper member 3 of the censer, which latter, being of skeleton oropen-work construction, as indicated in the drawings,permits the freeescape of the smoke of the incense. The open or skeleton-likeconstruction of the cover of the censer while necessary to permit theproper escape of the incense-smoke will also permit the escape offragments of burning fuel, ashes, and burning incense in case the censerbe accidentally overturned or brought violently in contact with somefixed object, and this is a contingency which more or less frequentlyhappens; for the reason that in using censers they are usually swung toand fro, and commonly by boys or young persons apt to be more or lesscareless or unskilful. To obviate the danger and objections of thusaccidentally spilling the fire, ashes, and other contents of the censer,I have provided a fire-cage in the nature of a grate adapted to besecured within the upper part of the combustion-chain ber of the censerand so constructed as to not only absolutely prevent the escape of thefragments of fuel and ashes from the combustionchamber, but also at thesame time to improve the burning qualities of the combustion-chamber andsecure a more uniform and reliable combustion of the fuel and incense.

Describing now said attachment in detail, 6 designates asupporting-plate adapted to be permanently or securely fastened over themouth of the combustion-chamber 5 and provided at its center with anopening 7, Within which is seated a fire-cage 8, which is arranged todepend within the upper part of the combustion-chamber. Inthe preferredconstruction'shown herein said cage consists of a rectangular grate likeor open structure, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, provided at two of itssides with outturned flanges 9, adapted to engage the upper surface ofthe supportingplate 6 and thereby hold the cage suspended within theaperture 7. While the particular construction of the fire-cage 9 isimmaterial so far as the openings or skeleton structure thereof isconcerned, it is to be particularly noted that the vent-openings in thesides thereof extend throughout practically the full depth of thecageas, for example, as indicated at 1011so that ashes or small burningfragments may escape through said sides at any point throughout theheight of the cage. This construction is of importance, as willhereinafter appear in the description of the operation of the device.

The supporting-plate 6 is provided with a hinged cover 12, adapted toclose the aperture 7 therein, and in order to afford a suitable ven t,so as to maintain a proper combustion within the chamber, this cover isprovided with an opening 13, which is covered with a wire netting orscreen l-l, as indicated clearly in Fig. 2. Means are also provided forsecuring this hinged cover in closed position, such means consisting inthe present instance of a turn-button 15, the innerhead end of which isadapted to beneath the edge 16 and be turned at right angles thereto tohold the cover closed in a usual manner.

As a perferred means of permanently securing the attachment to thecombustionreceptacle of the censer I provide a plurality of dependingmetal fingers or strips 17, permanently secured to the inside of thesupporting-plate 6, so as to depend within the receptacle and adapted tobe so bent as to rest in contact at their lower ends with the interiorofthe receptacle, to which latter they are likewise permanentlysecured-as, for example, by rivets-as indicated at 18. These metalstrips afford convenient means of readily securing the attachment to thecombustion-receptacles of censers of varying construction and size, thesupporting-plate 6 being usually constructed of sufficiently largediameter to cover the largest size of combustion-receptacles likely tobe encountered and subsequently trimmed down at its margins after beingattached to the receptacle.

The use of the attachment constructed as described is probably entirelyobvious from the foregoing description; but it is to be noted that byreason of the fact that the fuel is supported free from the bottom ofthe combustion-chamber a better supply of air reaches the fuel, and ittherefore burns more freely and uniformly than when simply placed uponthe bottom of the receptacle. Ordinarily the fuel used in censers is inthe form of a block of charcoal or composition specially formed toapproximately fit the receptacle. The incense, which is in the nature ofa resinous granular substance, tends to become fluid when burning, andif poured overthe block of fuel in excess quantities will partiallysubmerge the latter and smother the fire. With the present attachment,however, the openings in the sides of the cage permit the excess incensefluid to escape from the cage and fall into the lower part of thecombustion-chamber, thereby effectively preventing the smothering of thefire.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that fragments of fireand burning incense cannot escape from the fire-cage or from thecombustion-chamber, for the reason that the screen-cover effectuallyincloses the cage, while at the same time the smoke of the incense .andproducts of combustion pass freely through the screen.

It is to be noted that the cage may be readily lifted out of its seat bysimply opening the cover for the purpose of cleaning and recharging it.

While I have herein shown and described what I deem to be a preferredembodiment of my invention, yet it will be obvious that the detailsthereof may be modified without departing from the invention, and I donot therefore wish to be limited to these details except as they may bemade the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with the combustionchamber ofa eenser, a supporting-plate extending horizontallyover the upper sidethereof, provided with a fuel-aperture, a fire-cage supported from saidplate so as to depend within said combustion-chamber beneath saidfuel-aperture and having sides and bottom of open skeleton constructionso as to permit the free escape of ashes and surplus incense-powdertherefrom and a cover provided with a screened opening arranged tooverlie said cage and fuel-aperture, substantially as described.

2. In a eenser, the combination of the main body 2, provided with thecombustion cup or receptacle 5 seated permanently in the upper endthereof, the main cover 3 removably supported upon said main body, thesupportingplate 6 permanently attached to the receptacle 5 so as toclose the upper end thereof and provided with the fuel-aperture throughits body portion, the fire-cage 8 having the skeleton construction,supported upon the lower side of said so pporti ng-plate, the hingedcover 12 provided with the screened aperture therein and the latch 16,combined and operating, substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an attachment for censers,comprising a supporting-plate, provided with an aperture therein, afire-cage secured to one side thereof in register with said aperture,acover provided with a screened opening arranged to overlie the openingof said supporting-plate, and means for securing said attachment inposition to occupy the mouth of the combustion-receptacle of a eenser,substantially as described.

THOMAS M. MULKERINS.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK O. GOODWIN, ALBERT H. GRAVES.

